Zen,
that’s an ironic question given your username. When your master asks you what’s the sound of one hand-clapping, do you ask him to clarify the hypothetical atmosphere conditions?

ZenDecember 28, 2011

Truth is, when I am asked that, I usually snap my fingers and get an empty rice bowl upside the head for my irreverence.

But that aside, it is an interesting question. We are commanded to be obedient and perfect, and yet, we have generous amounts of fallibility built into us, as well as ignorance, misunderstanding and out right stupidity, even with the best of us.

Can we be perfect in this life? Then we would not need the Savior. If we can not, then how can we be held accountable for what we can’t do? I expect the truth of it is in between those two extremes.

I think this is related to why we have no systematic theology, as nice as that would be. It is because we need Christ not only for the things we understand we do wrong, but also for those we have no conception of, that we have never begun to imagine. Literally, we are lost, in the sense we don’t perfectly understand how to get to Heaven, (except by following Christ).

ZenJanuary 7, 2012

While indulging in some late night video game playing, I pondered a bit. I started off playing easy levels, and sometimes that is all I play. But as I progressed to more difficult opponents, I began to lose. Frankly, at the lower levels, I was sloppy and artsy about how I played. At the higher levels, I had no such leeway and my fighting became tight and focus, giving my opponent no time to begin to respond.

Well, I say to time to respond, but frankly, I had my dignity handed to me on a platter several, several times in a row. I lost a lot. But that was where I got better. The lower levels, the easier ones, didn’t really change me. But the levels where I lost, taught me a lot. I only really got better when I was mostly losing.

This reminds me of my mother. When she was young, she played Chinese Checkers with her uncles. And they were merciless with her. She lost a lot. Now, if we dare to play against my dear sweet mother, what do you think happens? It doesn’t matter if she is only half paying attention. She roundly beats us all. She learned more losing to her uncles than she would have if they had taken it easy on her.

I think I understand better why God provides divine Kobayashi Maru tests in life. He is not so much concerned with failure, if we come out stronger. Sin He can deal with. It is only unrepentance he can not.